Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,568 in Kahului, HI versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,090 in Kahului, HI versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,611 in Kahului, HI versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Kahului, HI is roughly 252% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kahului, HI is 166% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.17 $19.17

$5.99 COP 21.4K

220.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$32.86 COP 117.4K

141.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.48 $15.48

$7.09 COP 25.3K

118.34%

Cappuccino

$7.17 $7.17

$1.71 COP 6,115

319.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.10 COP 3,924

167.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$0.78 COP 2,781

355.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 $7.20

$1.68 COP 5,997

328.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.07 COP 11.0K

148.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.09 COP 3,906

52.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.26 COP 4,508

173.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.38 COP 4,922

213.77%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$2.19 COP 7,827

85.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$4.40 COP 15.7K

182.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$5.63 COP 20.1K

96.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$8.89 COP 31.8K

73.45%

Apples (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$2.34 COP 8,349

281.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.06 COP 3,777

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.50 COP 5,374

179.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$1.38 COP 4,924

521.01%

Potato (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$1.15 COP 4,111

480.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.16 COP 4,155

150.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.89 COP 3,182

242.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.84 COP 2,997

86.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$2.28 COP 8,145

315.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 $14.10

$10.64 COP 38.0K

32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.20 COP 4,284

49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.47 COP 8,824

64.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.86 COP 3,056

131.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.88 $44.88

$41.40 COP 147.9K

8.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.47 COP 5,264

131.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.96 COP 7,009

-16.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.16 $29.16

$7.74 COP 27.6K

276.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.95 COP 3,409

31.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.2K $39.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

116.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-0.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$214 $214

$82.3 COP 293.7K

160.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$9.50 COP 33.9K

725.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 $54.1

$24.23 COP 86.5K

123.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.74 $42.74

$25.89 COP 92.4K

65.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 $12.80

$3.93 COP 14.0K

225.70%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,321 $1,321

$309 COP 1.1M

327.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

290.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.80 $38.80

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-33.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 $25.19

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-22.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 $66.1

$103 COP 366.4K

-35.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$108 COP 387.2K

-2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$476 COP 1.7M

415.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 $2,113

$379 COP 1.4M

457.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 $3,481

$838 COP 3.0M

315.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 $3,455

$724 COP 2.6M

377.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,720 $2,720

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-2.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,391 $2,391

$1,211 COP 4.3M

97.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 $4,675

$512 COP 1.8M

813.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

13.43

-51.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kahului, HI: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,454 in Kahului, HI and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 814% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Kahului, HI vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kahului, HI vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 252% lower than in Kahului, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kahului, HI pays 814% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,454 in Kahului, HI versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,321 in Kahului, HI versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Kahului, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $3,568 in Kahului, HI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kahului, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kahului, HI and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Kahului, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.